U.S. patent application number 15/590167 was filed with the patent office on 2017-08-24 for navigation using routine driving information and destination areas.
The applicant listed for this patent is DISH NETWORK CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Stefan Bernard Raab.
Application Number | 20170241793 15/590167 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41054505 |
Filed Date | 2017-08-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170241793 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Raab; Stefan Bernard |
August 24, 2017 |
NAVIGATION USING ROUTINE DRIVING INFORMATION AND DESTINATION
AREAS
Abstract
A method according to an embodiment of the invention is provided
for identifying at least one routing option for use in routing a
user from a current location to at least one destination
comprising. The method includes the operations of: receiving
electronic data identifying at least one destination; receiving
electronic data indicating a current location; accessing, from the
at least one memory device, historical information associated with
at least one route segment, wherein the at least one route segment
is interposed between the current location and the at least one
destination; receiving, from at least one navigation service
provider, a current condition for each of the at least one route
segment; identifying, based on the current location, the historical
information associated with at least one route segment, and the
current condition for each of the at least one route segment, at
least one routing option for use in routing a user from the current
location to the at least one destination; and outputting at least
one navigation direction, wherein the at least one navigation
direction include an identification of the at least one routing
option.
Inventors: |
Raab; Stefan Bernard; (South
Riding, VA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION |
Englewood |
CO |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
41054505 |
Appl. No.: |
15/590167 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14827158 |
Aug 14, 2015 |
9664526 |
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15590167 |
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14095807 |
Dec 3, 2013 |
9109916 |
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14827158 |
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12042207 |
Mar 4, 2008 |
8626230 |
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14095807 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 21/00 20130101;
G08G 1/096805 20130101; G01C 21/3484 20130101; G01C 21/3611
20130101; G01C 21/26 20130101; G01C 21/3492 20130101; G01C 21/32
20130101; G01C 21/3617 20130101; G01C 21/34 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01C 21/34 20060101
G01C021/34; G01C 21/36 20060101 G01C021/36; G08G 1/0968 20060101
G08G001/0968; G01C 21/26 20060101 G01C021/26 |
Claims
1. A device for routing a user from a first location to a
point-of-interest via one or more route segments, comprising: a
processor; a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor
and configured to store a point-of-interest (POI), user historical
trip data, at least one user routing preference, and processor
executable instructions; an interface module; and a wireless
communications module communicatively coupled to a navigation
service provider; wherein the processor executable instructions
include instructions for: accessing the POI from the memory module;
identifying, using the wireless communications module, a
destination area in which the POI is located; wherein the
destination area includes a first route segment connected by a
first node to a second route segment; determining, in view of the
user historical trip data, whether at least one of the first route
segment and the second route segment is a routine route segment,
and each of the first route segment and the second route segment
provides at least a portion of a route between a first location and
the POI; designating, in view of the at least one user routing
preference, at least one of the first route segment and the second
route segment as a preferred route segment; determining a first
route, via the first node, from the first location to the POI using
at least one designated preferred route segment; and outputting to
the interface module at least one navigation instruction navigating
the user to the POI via the node using the first route.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the destination area is a routine
destination area.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the designation of the
destination area as a routine destination area varies based on at
least one of a time of day and day.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the POI is located within two
destination areas and the processor executable instructions include
instructions for selecting a second route between the first
location and the POI based on whether either of the two destination
areas is a preferred destination area.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein a preferred destination area is a
destination area into which the user routinely travels for purposes
of at least work.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein the second route is the same as
the first route.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the destination area is a dynamic
destination area that defines a geographic area including at least
one of the first node and one or more second nodes, wherein the
nodes located within the dynamic destination area are statistically
determined based on the user historical trip data.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the nodes located within the
dynamic destination area vary over at least one of time of day and
day.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one navigation
instruction is humanly perceptible.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor executable
instructions include instructions for: receiving an indication of
at least one website, wherein the at least one web site identifies
information relating to the POI; establishing a communications link
with the at least one website; accessing, via the at least one
website, information relating to the POI; and outputting, via at
least one display device communicatively coupled to the interface
module, at least a portion of the information relating to the
POI.
11. A system for using routine driving information to route a user
from a first location to a second location, comprising: a
processor; at least one memory module communicatively coupled to
the processor and configured to store processor executable
instructions and at least one user routing preference; at least one
radio for receiving navigation data from a navigation service
provider; wherein the processor executes at least one instruction
to: store statistical information associated with a user routinely
traveling between a first location and a second location using at
least one route segment; designate, based on the statistical
information, at least one of the route segments as a routine route
segment; access the navigation data; and select, based on the
navigation data and the at least one user routing preference, a
first route between the first location and the second location
using at least one of the designated routine route segments.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the statistical information is
based on historical information associated with at least one of the
route segments on the first route.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigation data includes a
current condition for at least one of the route segments on the
first route and the selection of the first route is based on at
least the current condition.
14. The system of claim 13, comprising an interface module and
wherein the processor executes at least one instruction instructing
the interface module to output at least one navigation direction
wherein the navigation direction directs the user from the first
location to a second location along the first route.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the navigation direction is
output in a humanly perceptible form.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of route
segments connects to at least one node located within one or more
destination areas; wherein the processor executes at least one
processor executable instruction to: determine whether each of the
one or more destination areas is a routine destination area; and
select the first route between the first location and the second
location using at least one routine route segment that connects to
at least one node located within a routine destination area.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein user historical trip data is
utilized to determine whether the one or more destination areas are
routine destination areas.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the nodes located within the
one or more destination areas dynamically changes based on at least
one of time of day and day.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein at the least one user routing
preference identifies whether at least one of the one or more
destination areas is a preferred destination area.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the one or more
destination areas are rated according to one or more specified
criteria.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the identification of the
preferred destination areas varies based on at least one of time of
day and day.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the navigation data includes a
current condition for at least one of the route segments and the
selection of the first route is based on at least the current
condition.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/827,158, entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR
USING ROUTINE DRIVING INFORMATION", filed Aug. 14, 2015, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/095,807,
entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING ROUTINE DRIVING INFORMATION
IN MOBILE INTERACTIVE SATELLITE SERVICES", filed Dec. 3, 2013 and
issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,109,916 on Aug. 18, 2015, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/042,207,
entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING ROUTINE DRIVING INFORMATION
IN MOBILE INTERACTIVE SATELLITE SERVICES," filed on Mar. 4, 2008
and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,626,230 on Jan. 7, 2014. The present
application is also related to: U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/619,848, entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING ROUTINE DRIVING
INFORMATION IN MOBILE INTERACTIVE SATELLITE SERVICES", filed on
Sep. 14, 2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,942,620 on Jan. 27,
2015; and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/798,922, entitled "METHOD
AND SYSTEM FOR USING ROUTINE DRIVING INFORMATION IN MOBILE
INTERACTIVE SATELLITE SERVICES", filed on Mar. 13, 2013 and issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 8,705,790 on Jun. 10, 2014. The contents of each
of the above identified applications are incorporated by reference
as if fully disclosed herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates generally to navigation and more
particularly to devices providing interactive navigation services
based on historical driving information and methods for using such
devices.
[0003] A hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication system,
such as a Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) system with an Ancillary
Terrestrial Component (ATC), for example, can provide a more
efficient spectrum utilization and a more effective coverage in
rural and urban areas than can be provided by stand-alone mobile
satellite systems. For that reason, existing MSS/ATC systems have
been typically used to provide voice communication services that
cover a wide geographic coverage. Using existing MSS/ATC systems to
make available other types of services, however, poses many
implementation challenges. For instance, to support mobile
interactive services, an MSS/ATC system design may need to
effectively handle multicast transmissions across both satellite
networks and ancillary terrestrial networks along with interactive
communications with individual users. A properly designed MSS/ATC
system can support one or more mobile interactive services,
including mobile or in-vehicle navigation services, for
example.
[0004] In a typical in-vehicle system that supports navigation
services, travel directions to a destination point or location can
be obtained by a search process that uses information stored in the
vehicle and/or information received from a navigation service
provider through a cellular network, for example. In some
instances, a user can specify travel or routing preferences in the
navigation service search criteria. A user can specify, for
example, a preference for the fastest travel time, for the shortest
travel distance, and/or for routes that include highways over
routes that include country or rural roads. The navigation service
search criteria, however, can be limited by the navigation system
and/or by the network that supports the system.
[0005] Improvements in mobile or in-vehicle navigation services are
desirable to a broad range of users. Thus, a need exists for
interactive services and/or devices that use satellite and
terrestrial communication systems to offer users wide geographic
coverage and a more flexible, effective, and/or feature-rich
navigation and guidance experience.
SUMMARY
[0006] An apparatus includes a controller to process one or more
criterion for selecting a point-of-interest (POI). The criterion
can be based on historical trip data. Data related to a POI,
including a community-of-interest (COI) rating, for example, can be
accessed through a satellite and terrestrial mobile communication
network. Multiple POIs can be graphically represented for user
selection based on the criterion and/or on other data. Once a POI
is selected, data related to the selected POI, including navigation
data, can be displayed. In another embodiment, the controller can
access navigation data to a specified destination. The navigation
data can be based on historical trip data such as route segments
and destination areas. The navigation data can be accessed from a
mobile or in-vehicle system or through the satellite and
terrestrial mobile communication network from a navigation service
provider and can be displayed to assist a user in reaching the
specified destination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a satellite and
terrestrial mobile communication network, according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0008] FIGS. 2-3 are block diagrams of a mobile interactive
services system for satellite and terrestrial communication,
according to embodiments of the invention.
[0009] FIGS. 4A-4B are front views of controllers and passenger
devices for use with a hybrid satellite and terrestrial
communication network, according to embodiments of the
invention.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including routine trip data, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0011] FIG. 6A is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including defined areas, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0012] FIG. 6B is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including dynamic areas, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a schematic representation illustrating the
selection of navigation data based on historical trip data,
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including points-of-interest, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0015] FIG. 9A is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display data related to one or more points-of-interest, according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 9B is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display navigation data and other data related to a
point-of-interest, according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 9C is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display navigation data and website data related to a
point-of-interest, according to another embodiment of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 9D is a front view of a controller that can graphically
displaying feedback data provided to a community-of-interest
related to a point-of-interest, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0019] FIGS. 10-11 are flow charts illustrating a method according
to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The devices and methods described herein are generally
related to mobile or in-vehicle interactive navigation services.
For example, the devices and methods are suitable for use in a
hybrid satellite and terrestrial (satellite/terrestrial)
communication system, such as a Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)
system with an Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC). An example of
such a hybrid satellite/terrestrial communication system is
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/797,048 to Zufall
et, al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety. An MSS MSS/ATC system can use one or
more satellites to support a wide geographic coverage of mobile
satellite interactive services. For example, a portion of the 2 GHz
spectrum allocated for MSS satellite communications can be used to
provide effective service coverage to rural and remote areas. Along
with the MSS network, the land-based ATC network can facilitate
service penetration in urban and suburban areas through effective
satellite and terrestrial frequency reuse.
[0021] The mobile interactive satellite services described herein
can be used to provide navigation, guidance, and/or additional
information such that a user can travel from a current location to
a specified or preferred destination. The destination can be a
specified address, the name of a place or location, and/or a
destination category, for example. In some instances, the
destination can be a point-of-interest (POI), such as a restaurant,
store, or entertainment venue, for example, which can be selected
from multiple POIs within a specified destination category. The
selection of a POI can be based, at least partially, on historical
information collected during previously conducted trips, on other
navigation information related to the POIs, and/or on a
community-of-interest (COI) rating for the POIs, for example.
Information related to the multiple POIs can be graphically or
visually represented to facilitate the destination selection
process. Moreover, navigation, guidance, and/or other information
related to a specified or selected destination can be displayed to
assist the user in reaching the destination.
[0022] It is noted that, as used in this written description and
the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include
plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Thus, for example, the term "a route segment" is intended to mean a
single segment or a combination of segments. Similarly, the term "a
destination area" is intended to mean, for example, a single
destination area or more than one destination areas.
[0023] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic representation of a satellite and
terrestrial mobile communication network, according to an
embodiment of the invention. A hybrid satellite/terrestrial
communication network 100 can be configured to provide mobile
interactive satellite services, such as interactive navigation
services, for example. The hybrid satellite/terrestrial
communication network 100 can include a first satellite 110,
terrestrial antennas 150, 152, and/or 154, a first ground station
120, and a network 130. In some instances, the hybrid
satellite/terrestrial communication network 100 can have a second
satellite 111 and/or a second ground station 121 to support other
mobile interactive satellite services, such as mobile video
services that provide satellite television multicasting, for
example.
[0024] The first satellite 110 can be configured to communicate
with the first ground station 120 through one or more signals in a
connection or communication path 170 that includes, for example,
uplink signals and downlink signals. The uplink signals can be used
to communicate information or data from the first ground station
120 to the first satellite 110. The uplink-communicated information
can include a multicast portion or component (e.g., video, music,
traffic reports, radio) and/or an interactive component (e.g.,
navigation data, travel assistance data). The downlink signals can
be used to communicate data, such as interactive data (e.g.,
requests for navigation services, requests for travel assistance
services), from the first satellite 110 to the first ground station
120.
[0025] The first ground station 120 can be configured to process at
least a portion of the data or information related to an
interactive service that can be supported by the hybrid
satellite/terrestrial communication network 100. In this regard,
the first ground station 120 can be configured to process
multicast, interactive, and/or control data for communication with
the first satellite 110. In one example, the first ground station
120 can generate ground-based beam-forming (GBBF) information that
is communicated to the first satellite 110 via the communication
path 170. The GBBF information can be used to configure a
transmission antenna, such as an antenna array, for example, which
can be used by the first satellite 110 to generate an appropriate
number of beam spots and beam spot locations, and/or appropriate
beam spot shapes to effectively communicate with a mobile
interactive services system, such as one that can be used in the
vehicle 140, and/or with terrestrial antennas 150 and 152. The GBBF
information can be dynamically modified to adjust communication
operations, including spectrum bandwidth and/or geographic
coverage, for example, between the first satellite 110 and users of
mobile interactive satellite services. In emergency situations,
such as during a natural disaster, for example, GBBF information
can be processed in a manner such that priority in spectrum
bandwidth and/or geographic coverage can be given to affected
areas.
[0026] The first satellite 110 can be configured to communicate
with a mobile interactive services system through one or more
signals in a connection or communication path 172. In the example
shown in FIG. 1, the first satellite 110 can communicate with a
mobile interactive services system in the vehicle 140. The
communication path 172 can include a downlink signals through which
the first satellite 110 can wirelessly transmit multicast and/or
interactive data to the mobile interactive services system and an
uplink signals to wirelessly transmit interactive data from the
mobile interactive services system in the vehicle 140 to the first
satellite 110. In this regard, a user can request data, such as
travel assistance data, data related to a specific destination,
and/or data related to a destination or assistance category of
interest, for example, through one or more mobile interactive
satellite services supported though the uplink signals in the
communication path 172. Moreover, a mobile interactive services
system can communicate with a service provider (e.g., navigation
service provider, travel assistance service provider, a travel
assistance service center) through the downlink and uplink signals
in the communication path 172.
[0027] In some embodiments, the first satellite 110 can be
configured to communicate with terrestrial antennas 150 and 152
using one or more signals through communication paths 174 and 176,
respectively. For instance, communication paths 174 and 176 can
each include a downlink path from the first satellite 110 to the
terrestrial antennas 150 and 152, respectively. Each of the
downlink paths can support multicast and/or interactive data
communication to the terrestrial antenna. In one example, the
terrestrial antenna 150 can be configured to further communicate
multicast and/or interactive data received from the first satellite
110 to a mobile interactive services system in the vehicle 140
through a downlink path in a communication path 178. In the example
shown in FIG. 1, however, terrestrial antenna 150 may not be
configured to receive interactive data from the mobile interactive
services system in the vehicle 140 (e.g., communication path 178
may not support uplink signals to terrestrial antenna 150). In
another example, terrestrial antenna 152 can be configured to
further communicate multicast and/or interactive data received from
the first satellite 110 to a mobile interactive services system in
the vehicle 140 through a downlink path in a communication path
182. Along with the downlink path, communication path 182 can have
an uplink path that can support transmission of signals that
include interactive data from the mobile interactive services
system in the vehicle 140 to the terrestrial antenna 152.
[0028] The ground station 120 can be configured to communicate with
terrestrial antennas 150, 152, and 154 through a network 130. In
this regard, land-based communication of multicast and/or
interactive data can occur through terrestrial antennas 150, 152,
and 154. In the example shown in FIG. 1, terrestrial antennas 150,
152, and 154 can be configured to communicate multicast and/or
interactive data via at least one of communication paths 178, 182,
and 180, respectively, with a mobile interactive services system in
the vehicle 140. Terrestrial antennas 152 and 154, for example, can
be configured for bi-directional communication and can receive
interactive data from the mobile interactive services system in the
vehicle 140 through uplink paths in communication paths 182 and
180, respectively. Terrestrial antennas 152 and 154 can be
configured to communicate interactive data received from the mobile
interactive services system in the vehicle 140 to the ground
station 120 through the network 130 for processing.
[0029] The network 130 can include at least a portion of, for
example, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a
packet-switched network, a satellite network, and/or a wireless
network. The packet-switched network can be a multi-protocol label
switching (MPLS) network that can carry different kinds of traffic
such as Internet protocol (IP) packets, asynchronous transfer mode
(ATM) frames, synchronous optical network (SONET) frames, and/or
Ethernet frames, for example. The ground station 120 can be
configured to communicate with the network 130 through a network
connection or communication path 162. Terrestrial antennas 150,
152, and 154 can communicate with the network 130 through a network
connection or communication path 160. Communication paths 160 and
162 can include, in some instances, a broadband and/or long-haul
optical fiber connection.
[0030] Other embodiments of the hybrid satellite/terrestrial
communication network 100 can include a number of ground stations,
terrestrial antennas, and/or satellites that can be different from
those of the different embodiments described in FIG. 1. Moreover,
other embodiments of the hybrid satellite/terrestrial communication
network 100 can support multiple devices that, like the mobile
interactive services system in the vehicle 140, can be configured
to communicate with the first satellite 110 and with the
terrestrial antennas 150, 152, and/or 154. For example, handheld
devices, laptops, and/or in-vehicle systems can be configured to
receive and/or transmit data related to mobile interactive
satellite services through an embodiment of the hybrid
satellite/terrestrial communication network 100.
[0031] FIGS. 2-3 are block diagrams of a mobile interactive
services system for satellite and terrestrial communication,
according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2 depicts a
schematic representation of a mobile interactive services system
200 that can be configured to provide mobile interactive satellite
services. In some instances, the mobile interactive services system
200 can be an in-vehicle system (i.e., can operate within and/or
coupled to the vehicle, for example). The mobile interactive
services system 200 can include a controller module 210, a modem
module 220, and/or a media server module 230. In some instances,
the mobile interactive services system 200 can include one or more
passenger device modules 240.sub.0, . . . , 240.sub.N. The
controller module 210, the modem module 220, the media server
module 230, and the passenger device modules 240.sub.0, . . . ,
240.sub.N can be software-based (e.g., set of instructions
executable at a processor, software code) and/or hardware-based
(e.g., circuit system, processor, application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA)). In some
embodiments, the mobile interactive services system 200 can be
configured to communicate with a vehicle communication network,
such as, for example, a controller area network (CAN), an on-board
diagnostics II (OBD-II), a media-oriented system transport (MOST),
or other like vehicle communication networks.
[0032] The controller module 210 can be configured to process
and/or display data such as data received from other modules or
components of the mobile interactive services system 200, data that
is provided as input from a user, and/or data received from a
vehicle communication network or bus. For instance, the controller
module 210 can receive, process, and/or display multicast and/or
interactive data that is received via the modem module 220. In some
instances, the controller module 210 can receive, process, and/or
display data (e.g., video, audio, navigation, and/or travel
assistance data) stored in the media server module 230. The data
processing provided by the controller module 210 can include
processing that supports mobile interactive satellite services such
as mobile interactive navigation services, for example. The
controller module 210 can be configured to store data before,
during, and/or after processing.
[0033] In some embodiments, the controller module 210 can be
configured to collect and/or process historical trip data from one
or more previous trips. In other embodiments, the controller module
210 can process historical trip data for transmission to a service
provider or service center that may further process the historical
trip data to generate, for example, navigation and/or travel
assistance data. The navigation data generated from the processed
historical trip data can be subsequently received by the mobile
interactive services system 200. Historical trip data can include,
for example, departure time and/or location, arrival time and/or
location, road or route segments traveled, travel time, travel
distance, time of departure, and/or date (day, week, month, and/or
year) of travel. In some embodiments, historical trip data can
include navigation data or guidance data that may have been
received from a navigation service provider for consideration by a
user during a previously occurring trip.
[0034] An example of historical trip data processing can include
determining which trips are routine or regularly occurring trips.
In one embodiment, routinely occurring trips can be determined by
generating statistical information which may be compared to
specified thresholds to determine when a certain trip (e.g.,
weekday morning commute to work) occurs routinely. A road or route
segment traveled during a routine trip can be referred to as a
routine route segment and a destination location or destination
area arrived to during a routine trip can be referred to as a
routine destination location or a routine destination area,
respectively, for example. In other embodiments, a user of the
mobile interactive services system 200 may indicate to the system
that a trip is a routine trip.
[0035] The controller module 210 can be configured to communicate
data to other components of the mobile interactive services system
200. For example, the controller module 210 can communicate user
input data, such as interactive data, to the modem module 220.
Moreover, the controller module 210 can be configured to control at
least a portion of the operation of other components of the mobile
interactive services system 200. The controller module 210 can
control, for example, the providing of video, audio, and/or other
data to the passenger device modules 240.sub.0, . . . ,
240.sub.N.
[0036] The modem module 220 can be configured to communicate with a
network such as the hybrid satellite/terrestrial communication
network 100 described in FIG. 1. In this regard, the modem module
220 can support multiple wireless and/or satellite communication or
networking protocols, including multiple cellular communication
protocols, for example. For mobile video services, for example, the
modem module 220 can support one or more satellite communication
protocols, such as digital video broadcasting satellite services to
handhelds (DVB-SH) or DVB second generation (DVB-S2). The modem
module 220 can communicate with cellular networks such as global
system for mobile communications (GSM) or code-division multiple
access (CDMA) networks, for example. Moreover, the modem module 220
can be configured to support wireless side-loading operations, such
as content loading from a local area network (LAN), through
multiple wireless interfaces, including WiMax IEEE 802.16 interface
and/or WiFi IEEE 802.11 interface, for example.
[0037] The media server module 230 can be configured to store
multimedia data (e.g., video, audio, navigation, and/or travel
assistance data). The multimedia data can be stored in, for
example, integrated circuit (IC) memory, compact discs (CDs),
digital video discs (DVDs), and other like machine-readable storage
medium. In some instances, the media server module 230 can receive
multimedia data for storage from the modem module 220. In this
regard, the media server module 230 can operate as a digital video
recorder (DVR), for example. In a DVR, multimedia data (e.g.,
current satellite video channel programming) can be received and
stored while stored multimedia data (e.g., previously stored
satellite video channel programming) can be accessed for further
processing. The media server module 230 can communicate stored
multimedia data to the controller module 210, which may process
and/or display the multimedia data. For instance, the controller
module 210 can display video data, audio data, instructional
information, travel assistance information, navigation maps,
guidance information, travel directions, information related to
specified destinations and/or destinations within destination
categories, personal and/or community ratings of places, and/or
other information that may be stored in the media server module
230. Moreover, the controller module 210 may communicate at least a
portion of the multimedia data received from the media server
module 230 to one or more of the passenger device modules
240.sub.0, . . . , 240.sub.N for display.
[0038] The passenger device modules 240.sub.0, . . . , 240.sub.N
can be configured to process and/or display data received from the
controller module 210. For example the passenger device modules
240.sub.0, . . . , 240.sub.N can be configured to play movies,
music, radio programming, video games, and/or other applications.
The controller module 210 can be used to select which application
is provided in each of the passenger device modules. In this
regard, the passenger device modules 240.sub.0, . . . , 240.sub.N
can be configured such that each can provide the same application
(e.g., multiple users can play a single video game) or different
applications (e.g., different movies in each module).
[0039] Other embodiments of the mobile interactive services system
200 can include architectural organizations, such as data and/or
control bus architectures, for example, different from those of the
different embodiments described in FIG. 2. In other embodiments,
more than one of the modules described in FIG. 2 can be combined
into a single module. One or more of the functionalities or
operations provided by different modules described in FIG. 2 can be
shared between different modules and/or can be combined such that a
single module provides the functionality or operation. Other
embodiments of the mobile interactive services system 200 can
include one or more modules that can support additional mobile
interactive satellite services.
[0040] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic representation of a mobile
interactive services system 300 that can be configured to provide
mobile interactive satellite services such as mobile interactive
navigation services and/or mobile interactive travel assistance
services, for example. The mobile interactive services system 300
can include one or more radio frequency (RF) front-end modules
302.sub.0, . . . , 302.sub.M, one or more baseband processing
modules 304.sub.0, . . . , 304.sub.M, a memory module 306, a
multimedia processing module 308, a processing module 312, an
interface module 314, a media server module 310, a display module
318, an audio module 320, and/or an input/output (I/O) module 322.
In some embodiments, the mobile interactive services system 300 can
include one or more passenger device modules 316.sub.0, . . . ,
316.sub.N. The media server module 310 and the passenger device
modules 316.sub.0, . . . , 316.sub.N in FIG. 3 can have,
respectively, substantially similar functionality as that of the
media server module 230 and of the passenger device modules
240.sub.0, . . . , 240.sub.N described in FIG. 2.
[0041] The RF front-end modules 302.sub.0, . . . , 302.sub.M can be
coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 301.sub.0, .
. . , 301.sub.M, for example, for transmission and/or reception of
RF signals. The mobile interactive services system 300 can
communicate with a hybrid satellite/terrestrial communication
network through the RF front-end modules 302.sub.0, . . . ,
302.sub.M via the antennas 301.sub.0, . . . , 301.sub.M. Each of
the antennas 301.sub.0, . . . , 301.sub.M can be a single antenna
or multiple antennas, such as antenna arrays, for example. In some
instances, the mobile interactive services system 300 can support
multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) operations, and other like
operations that use antenna diversity or smart antenna
technology.
[0042] The modules or components of the mobile interactive services
system 300 can be software-based (e.g., set of instructions
executable at a processor, software code) and/or hardware-based
(e.g., circuit system, processor, application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA)). The RF
front-end modules 302.sub.0, . . . , 302.sub.M, for example, can be
configured to process RF signals. In this regard, an RF front-end
module can operate as a transmitter (i.e., processes signals for
wireless transmission) and/or as a receiver (i.e., processes
wirelessly-received signals). An RF front-end module can be
configured to perform multiple signal processing operations,
including, but not limited to, amplification, filtering,
analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), de-modulation, modulation,
digital-to-analog conversion (DAC), and/or mixing, for example.
Thus, an RF front-end module can convert received RF signals to an
appropriate baseband frequency for further processing and/or
convert baseband frequency signals to appropriate RF signals for
wireless transmission. An RF front-end module can process signals
according to one or more terrestrial (e.g., land-based) and/or
satellite RF communication protocols.
[0043] The baseband processing modules 304.sub.0, . . . , 304.sub.M
can be configured to perform digital signal processing operations
on data received from an RF front-end module, from the processing
module 312, and/or from the memory module 306, for example. A
baseband processing module can communicate processed data to an RF
front-end module for wireless transmission or to another module of
the mobile interactive services system 300 for further processing.
In one example, video content from a video interactive service can
be received and processed by a baseband processing module and can
be communicated to the multimedia processing module 308 for further
processing. In another example, navigation or navigation-related
data can be received and processed by a baseband processing module
and can be communicated to the processing module 312 for further
processing and/or to the memory module 306 for storage. A baseband
processing module can process data according to one or more
terrestrial and/or satellite RF communication protocols. Moreover,
a baseband processing module can provide feedback information to an
RF front-end module based on information that results from
processing data.
[0044] The memory module 306 can include a machine-readable storage
medium, such as an IC memory, for example, that can be configured
to store data used by the mobile interactive services system 300.
In some instances, the stored data can include data related to one
or more mobile interactive satellite services such as navigation
services and/or travel assistance services. For example, the memory
module 306 can store navigation and/or navigation-related data that
can include, without limitation, historical trip data, current trip
data, navigation data provided by a service provider that is
related to a previously conducted trip, navigation data related to
a selected point-of-interest (POI), and/or data related to multiple
POIs for a specified destination category. The memory module 306
can be configured to store other types of data including, without
limitation, data related to terrestrial and/or satellite
communication protocols, data related to terrestrial and/or
satellite communication activity, video data, audio data, and/or
application data. The memory module 306 can store data received
from and/or to be communicated to a hybrid satellite/terrestrial
communication network through the RF front-end modules 302.sub.0, .
. . , 302.sub.M.
[0045] The multimedia processing module 308 can be configured to
digitally process multimedia data (e.g., video, audio, and/or
content data). For example, video data can be decoded and/or
encoded at the multimedia processing module 308 according to the
appropriate video coding standard. In this regard, the multimedia
processing module 308 can be configured to support more than one
video, audio, and/or content data coding standard, such as the
H.264 standard and the MPEG-4 standard for video coding, for
example. In some instances, the processing module 312 can provide
at least a portion of the multimedia data processing operations
supported by the mobile interactive services system 300. For
example, the multimedia processing module 308 can be optimized for
video data processing operations and the processing module 312 can
be used to provide audio and/or content data processing
operations.
[0046] The processing module 312 can be configured to provide
operations for mobile interactive satellite services, including
mobile interactive navigation services and/or mobile interactive
travel assistance services. For example, along with providing
control operations for the mobile interactive services system 300,
the processing module 312 can provide mobile interactive navigation
services operations that include, but are not limited to,
operations related to the processing, storing, displaying,
organizing, selecting, and/or inputting of user data. In this
regard, the processing module 312 can receive data from a hybrid
satellite/terrestrial communication network through the RF
front-end modules 302.sub.0, . . . , 302.sub.M and the baseband
processing modules 304.sub.0, . . . , 304.sub.M. Moreover, the
processing module 312 can receive data from the memory module 306,
the multimedia processing module 308, the display module 318, media
server module 310, the audio module 320, the I/O module 322, and/or
the passenger device modules 316.sub.0, . . . , 316.sub.N.
[0047] The interface module 314 can be configured to communicate
data between multiple modules and the processing module 312. In
some embodiments, the interface module 314 can support multiple
interface busses, protocols, and/or standards, such as the
inter-integrated circuit (I.sup.2C) bus, the integrated inter-chip
sound (I.sup.2S) bus, the serial-peripheral interface (SPI) bus,
and/or the universal serial bus (USB), for example. In this regard,
the interface module 314 can use different bus protocols to
communicate, for example, audio, video, content, and/or graphical
data between the processing module 312 and one or more modules. For
example, in mobile interactive navigation services, a controller
module, such as the controller 210 in FIG. 2, can include the
display module 318, the audio module 320, and/or the I/O module 322
for providing a user interface (UI) to receive and/or provide
navigation data. The display module 318 can communicate with the
interface module 314 through one interface protocol and the audio
module 320 through a different interface protocol. Moreover, the
I/O module 322 can communicate user selection data, such as
touch-screen data input or button data input, for example, using
yet a different interface protocol.
[0048] Other embodiments of the mobile interactive services system
300 can include architectural organizations, such as data and/or
control bus architectures, for example, different from those of the
different embodiments described in FIG. 3. In other embodiments,
more than one of the modules described in FIG. 3 can be combined
into a single module. One or more of the functionalities or
operations provided by different modules described in FIG. 3 can be
shared between different modules and/or can be combined such that a
single module provides the functionality or operation. Other
embodiments of the mobile interactive services system 300 can
include one or more modules that can support additional mobile
interactive satellite services.
[0049] FIGS. 4A-4B are front views of controllers and passenger
devices for use with a hybrid satellite and terrestrial
communication network, according to embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 4A shows a front view of a module 400, which can be a
controller module or a passenger device module as described in
FIGS. 2 and 3, for example. The module 400 can include a display
screen 404 that can be configured to graphically represent or
display data, including data related to mobile interactive
satellite services such as navigation services and/or travel
assistance services, for example. In some embodiments, the display
screen 404 can be a touch-screen display, for example, which can be
used to enter data, such as alphanumeric data and/or selection
data. The data entered through a touch-screen display can be
subsequently processed by a mobile interactive services system to
provide appropriate operations for mobile interactive satellite
services. In some instances, certain operations and/or selections
can be activated by touching an icon or other graphical or visual
representation displayed on the screen. In other instances, certain
operations and/or selections can be activated by gesturing and/or
writing on the touch-screen display.
[0050] FIG. 4B depicts a front view of a module 402 that can
include the display screen 404. Along with the display screen 404,
the module 402 can include one or more controls 406 (e.g., buttons)
that can be used to enter data, such as alphanumeric data and/or
selection data. For example, one or more of the controls 406 can be
used as soft buttons that provide a different set of selection
options. In another example, one or more of the controls 406 can be
used as hard buttons that provide a fixed set of selection options,
such as setting the module to an ON or OFF state. The controllers
or passenger devices described in FIGS. 4A-4B can detect selections
made by a user through the user interface provided by the display
screen 404 and/or the controls 406.
[0051] The modules 400 and 402 can include audio and/or visual
components (not shown) that can be used to input and/or output
data. In one example, a speaker (not shown) can be included to
provide a user with audio navigation instructions or with audio
travel assistance instructions. In another example, a microphone
(not shown) can be used to provide a mobile interactive services
system with spoken selections or spoken input data, such as
speaking a POI destination category or speaking a destination
address. In yet another example, a camera (not shown) can be
included to detect user motions, gestures, and/or signals that can
correspond to a data entry operation.
[0052] As described above, controllers in a mobile interactive
services system can be used to provide a user interface for mobile
interactive satellite services that can be supported through a
network such as the hybrid satellite/terrestrial communication
network 100. Navigation services, for example, can use the
interactive aspect of the hybrid satellite/terrestrial
communication network 100 to offer users a wide geographic coverage
and a more flexible, effective, and/or feature-rich navigation and
guidance experience.
[0053] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a navigation map,
including routine trip data, according to an embodiment of the
invention. As shown in FIG. 5, a navigation map 500 can be a
graphical representation of a geographic area or region that
includes information regarding multiple locations (e.g., towns,
cities, places, landmarks, addresses) and/or road information
(e.g., road identification, road lanes, exit identification, road
intersections and junctions, speed limits). The geographic region
in the navigation map 500 can correspond to a region for which
mobile interactive satellite services can be provided. In this
regard, the navigation map 500 can include information that can be
used by a mobile interactive navigation service to determine and/or
provide navigation instructions and/or other navigation-related
data.
[0054] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the navigation map 500 can
include multiple locations S, A, B, C, D, E, and F, multiple road
or route segments, and/or multiple road or route nodes. A route
segment can refer to a road or to a portion of a road between two
route nodes, for example. As shown, a solid-line route segment can
be associated with a large road, such as a highway, for example,
and a dotted-line route segment can be associated with a local
road, such as a back road or a rural road, for example. In this
regard, a solid-line route segment can generally correspond to a
route segment in which a driver can travel at a faster speed than
when traveling through a dotted-line route segment. For example,
local roads tend to have fewer lanes of traffic and have more
traffic lights, both of which may tend to reduce the average travel
speed. A route node can refer to an intersection or junction
between two or more route segments, for example. In some instances
(not shown), a route node can also refer to a location or landmark
in a route segment that need not be associated with a road
intersection or junction.
[0055] Within the geographic area described by the navigation map
500, multiple different trips can occur. For example, for a trip
between location S and location A, route segments S0, S1, S2, S3,
and S4 and nodes N0, N1, N2, and N3 maybe traversed. In another
example, for a trip between location S and location B, route
segments S0, S1, S2, and S8 and nodes N0, N1, and N2 may be
traversed. Traveling between location S and location C, for
example, may involve traversing route segments S0, S10, S11, S12,
and S13 and nodes N0, N5, N6, and N7. In yet another example,
traveling between location A and location F may involve traversing
route segments S4, S5, S6, S13, S12, and S16 and nodes N3, N4,
location C, N7, and N6.
[0056] In some instances, there may be more than one possible route
for a trip that involves going from a first location to a second
location. For example, a first route for a trip starting at
location S and having as destination location B can include
traversing route segments S0, S1, S2, and S8 and nodes N0, N1, and
N2. A second route for a trip starting at location S and having as
destination location B can include traversing route segments S0,
S10, S11, S12, and S9 and nodes N0, N5, N6, and N7, for example.
The first and second routes can differ in multiple aspects,
including total travel distance, travel time, average travel speed,
route segments and/or nodes traversed, travel areas or
neighborhoods, ease or comfort in traveling (e.g., highway traffic
or local road traffic), and/or costs (e.g., tolls), for
example.
[0057] Differences in routes for a particular trip can result in a
user of a mobile interactive services system (e.g., a driver or
vehicle passenger) having a preference for one route over another
route. In this regard, the user may routinely or regularly prefer
to travel using a particular route for trips between specified
locations. An example of a regularly occurring trip can be going
from the user's home to their place of work at the beginning of a
work day. Another example of a regularly occurring trip can be the
return trip home at the end of the work day. In this regard, the
user or driver can have a preference for one of multiple possible
routes that may be available when traveling to and from work, for
example.
[0058] A regularly occurring trip can be referred to as a routine
trip and the route segments traversed during the routine trip can
be referred to as routine route segments, for example. As described
above, a mobile interactive navigation system can be used to
collect historical trip data which can be processed to determine
whether a trip occurs with a sufficient degree of regularity to be
a routine trip. Historical trip information that can be processed
to determine whether a trip is a routine trip can include, but need
not be limited to, starting and destination locations, departure
time, arrival time, and/or day of travel (e.g., Monday, weekday,
weekend). In some instances, the mobile interactive navigation
system can process the historical trip data while in other
instances the historical trip data can be communicated to a
provider of navigation and/or travel assistance services for
processing. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a routine trip 502 can
include traveling from a location S to a destination at location C.
The routine trip 502 can include a route that traverses route
segments S0, S10, S11, S12, and S12 and nodes N0, N5, N6, and N7.
In this example, an "R" can be used to label routine route segments
associated with the routine trip 502.
[0059] In some instances, a user may prefer to use routine route
segments when making a trip that is different from the routine trip
502. In the example shown in FIG. 5, to travel from location S to a
destination at location B, a user can select between, for example,
a first route that includes traversing route segments S0, S1, S2,
and S8 and route nodes N0, N1, and N2, and a second route that
includes traversing route segments S0, S10, S11, S12, and S9 and
route nodes N0, N5, N6, and N7. In this instance, the user or
driver may prefer the second route over the first route because it
includes routine route segments S0, S10, S11, and S12 with which
the user may be more comfortable and/or familiar, for example.
[0060] Routine route segments can be temporally defined, that is,
can be associated with a specific time of day and with specific
days. In some instances, a route segment can be a routine route
segment for a first trip but may not be a routine route segment for
a second trip because of the time and/or day in which the second
trip is occurring.
[0061] FIG. 6A is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including defined areas, according to an embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 6A depicts a navigation map 600 that includes the
location information and road information described in FIG. 5. Also
shown are multiple areas A1, A2, A3, and A4. The areas A1, A2, A3,
and A4 can each have a specified or defined geographic area,
however, they need not have similar areas, shapes, contours, and/or
outlines. In other embodiments, the areas can have different areas,
shapes, contours, and/or outlines from those described in FIG. 6A.
Moreover, other embodiments can include a different number of areas
than the number used in the example in FIG. 6A. Each of the
locations S, A, B, C, D, E, and F can be located within one of the
areas A1, A2, A3, and A4, for example. For example, locations S, D,
and E can be located within area A1. In another example, locations
C and F can be located within area A3. In some instances, such as
when a location is at a boundary or interface between areas, the
location may be included within more than one of the areas A1, A2,
A3, and A4.
[0062] A starting area can refer to an area or region in which the
starting point of a trip is located, for example. Similarly, a
destination area can refer to an area or region in which the
destination of a trip is located, for example. For instance, when
traveling from location S to location A, a user of a mobile
interactive services system can start at location A in area A1 and
can arrive at location S in area A2. In this example, area A1 is
the starting area and area A2 is the destination area. When
traveling between any two locations in the navigation map 600 in
FIG. 6A, a user or driver may travel from one area to another area
or may travel within one of the areas (i.e., the starting and
destination areas can be the same).
[0063] A user of a mobile interactive services system may routinely
or regularly prefer to travel to a specific destination area. For
example, the user's place of work, preferred supermarket, and
preferred shopping mall may all be located in area A3. A regularly
occurring destination area can be referred to as a routine
destination area, for example. As described above, a mobile
interactive navigation system can be used to collect historical
trip data which can be processed to determine whether a particular
destination area occurs with a sufficient degree of regularity to
be a routine destination area.
[0064] Destination areas can be temporally defined, that is, can be
associated with a specific time of day and with specific days. In
some instances, a destination area can be a routine destination
area for a first trip but may not be a routine destination area for
a second trip because of the time and/or day in which the second
trip is occurring.
[0065] FIG. 6B is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including dynamic destination areas, according to an embodiment of
the invention. FIG. 6B depicts a navigation map 650 that includes
the location information and road information described in FIGS. 5
and 6A. Also shown are multiple areas B1, B2, and B3, which can
each be dynamically specified or defined based on, for example,
historical trip data. For instance, the area, contour, shape,
and/or size of each of the areas B1, B2, and B3 can be adjusted or
modified based on statistical information that can result from the
processing of historical trip data. Areas B1, B2, and B3 can, in
some instances, overlap such that a location in the navigation map
650 can be included in more than one of areas B1, B2, and B3.
Moreover, as areas B1, B2, and B3 can dynamically change, whether a
location is included within a specified area can vary over
time.
[0066] For example, the home of a user of a mobile interactive
services system can be in location S and the user may take short
trips, such as for local grocery shopping, for example, to
locations D and E. Thus, the geographic scope of area B1 may be at
least partially determined from historical trip data collected from
trips between the user's home and local shopping in locations D and
E. Changes in the user's local shopping habits can result in
changes to area B1. In another example, the user's place of work
can be in location C. The user may generally stop at locations B
and F (e.g., gas station, coffee shop) when traveling to and/or
from work. Thus, the geographic scope of area B3 may be determined
at least partially from historical trip data collected from trips
to and/or from work. Changes in the user's travel habits to work
(e.g., dropping off and/or picking up a child at daycare near
location A) can result in changes to area B1.
[0067] As described above, a user of a mobile interactive services
system may routinely or regularly prefer to travel to a specific
destination area. For example, area B3 can be a routine destination
area when the user travels to area B3 as a destination area with a
sufficient degree of regularity. In this regard, the user can have
a preference for route segments located within a routine
destination area when making a trip. For example, when traveling
from location S in area B1 to location B in areas B2 and B3, the
user can select between, for example, a first route that includes
route segments S0, S1, S2, and S8 and route nodes N0, N1, and N2,
and a second route that includes route segments S0, S10, S11, S12,
and S9 and route nodes N0, N5, N6, and N7. In this instance, the
user can have a preference for the second route because it includes
more route segments (e.g., S11, S12, and S9) associated with
routine destination area B3 than the first route (e.g., S8).
[0068] FIG. 7 is a schematic representation illustrating the
selection of navigation data based on historical trip data,
according to an embodiment of the invention. Shown in FIG. 7 is a
travel diagram 700 that includes information related to multiple
travel or navigation routes, one of which can be selected for a
trip between locations S and B as described in FIG. 6B. In some
embodiments, a mobile interactive services system, such as the
mobile interactive services systems 200 and 300 in FIGS. 2 and 3,
respectively, can be used to collect, process, operate, display,
and/or select data such as the navigation data illustrated in FIG.
7. The travel diagram 700 can have data that is based on collected
and/or processed historical trip data, including route segment
information (e.g. routine route segments) and/or travel area
information (e.g., routine destination area). In some embodiments,
at least a portion the navigation data shown in FIG. 7 can be
received from a service provider (e.g., a navigation service
provider) through a hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile
communication network.
[0069] The example illustrated by the travel diagram 700 includes a
first route 702, a second route 704, and a third route 706. Other
examples can illustrate travel routes for a trip between locations
S and B that are different from those shown in FIG. 7. The first
route 702 can correspond to, for example, a route resulting in the
least amount of travel time. Because most of the route segments in
the first route 702 are larger roads (solid lines), travel time for
the first route 702 may be the fastest. The first route 702 can
include route segments S0, S1, S2, S3, S5, and S7, of which only
route segment S0 is a routine route segment (R). The destination,
location B, can be associated with areas B2 and B3 because it is
located in an overlap region between areas B2 and B3. For the first
route 702, location B is approached using route segment S7 in area
B2, thus location B is associated with area B2 and not with area
B3.
[0070] The second route 704 can correspond to, for example, a
travel route resulting in the shortest travel distance. The second
route 704 can include route segments S0, S1, S2, and S8, of which
only route segment S0 is a routine route segment (R). For the
second route 704, location B is approached using route segment S8
in area B2, thus location B is associated with area B2 and not with
area B3.
[0071] The third route 706 can correspond to, for example, a travel
route that can include multiple routine route segments (R). The
third route 706 can include route segments S0, S10, S11, S12, and
S9, of which only route segment S9 is not a routine route segment
(R). For the third route 706, location B is approached using route
segment S9 in area B3, thus location B is associated with area B3,
which is a routine destination area, and not with area B2.
[0072] In the example illustrated by the travel diagram 700, a user
of a mobile interactive services system can have a preference for,
for example, the fastest travel route, the shortest travel route
distance, the travel route with the most routine route segments,
the travel route to a routine destination area, and/or a
combination of the above. Based on these preferences, the user may
select the navigation data of one of the travel routes in the
travel diagram 700. For example, the user can prefer the third
route 706 because it includes a large number of routine route
segments and because location B is associated with a routine
destination area. Routine route segments and routine destination
areas may give the user a level of comfort, ease, and/or
familiarity from previous experiences (e.g., previous trips) that
can overcome, in some instances, the benefits of faster travel time
and shorter travel distance provided by the first route 702 and the
second route 704, respectively.
[0073] A user's preferences can be included in the navigation data
that is provided by a navigation service through a mobile
interactive services system. In some embodiments, the mobile
interactive services system can process the user's preferences to
generate at least a portion of the navigation data illustrated by
the travel diagram 700. In other embodiments, a navigation service
provider can process the user's preferences and communicate
navigation data that is based on these preferences to the mobile
interactive services system through a hybrid satellite/terrestrial
communication network.
[0074] The processing of a user's preferences can include providing
a weight, ranking, and/or priority to multiple aspects of a trip
such as, but need not limited to, travel time, travel distance,
starting and/or destination location, destination area information,
route segment information, traffic conditions, time of day, and/or
day of travel. The weighted aspects of the trip can be combined to
determine at least one criterion that can be used to select one of
the multiple travel routes that are possible for a particular trip.
In one example, the combination can be a linear combination while
in another example the combination can be non-linear. In one
embodiment, the criterion or criteria can be used to graphically
represent a relative preference between multiple travel routes such
that the user can select one of the travel routes. In another
embodiment, the criterion or criteria can be used by a navigation
service operated through a mobile interactive services system to
determine a preferred travel route. The navigation data of the
preferred travel route can be made available (e.g., graphically
represented or displayed on a display screen) to the user through a
mobile interactive services system. In some embodiments, routine
route segments and/or routine destination areas may be given
significant weight when determining the criterion or criteria from
which to select a travel route.
[0075] In some instances, the user's travel preferences, including
routine route segments and/or routine destination areas, for
example, can be used to adjust or modify navigation instructions or
data provided by a navigation service provider. For example, the
mobile interactive services system can replace a portion of a
travel route provided by a navigation service provider with one or
more routine route segments.
[0076] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a navigation map
including points-of-interest, according to an embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 8 depicts a navigation map 800 that includes the
location information, road information, and area information
described in FIG. 6B. Also shown are multiple points-of-interest
(POI), including POI 0, POI 1, POI 2, POI 3, POI 4, and POI 5. For
instance, POI 0 is located in area B1 near location D, POI 1 is
located in area B1 near location E, POI 2 is located in area B3
near location F, POI 3 is located in area B3 near location C, POI 4
is located in areas B2 and B3 near location B, and POI 5 is located
in area B2 near location A.
[0077] Each POI may correspond to, for example, a destination
location from one or more destination categories selected by a user
through a mobile interactive services system. For example, a driver
can search for navigation or guidance data to a destination
category such as entertainment places (e.g., restaurants, cinemas,
theaters). The driver can be provided by a navigation service and
through the mobile interactive services system with one or more
POIs that may meet the search criteria. The navigation or travel
route preferences of the user mobile interactive services system
can be used to determine at least one criterion for traveling to
each POI that provides a relative preference between multiple POIs.
For example, the user may prefer traveling to a POI that is near a
location which may result in the shortest travel time from a
current location, traveling to a POI near a location which may
result in using multiple routine route segments (R), traveling to a
POI near a location in a routine destination area, and/or a
combination of the above.
[0078] In some instances, the POI data can include ratings,
reviews, and/or rankings that can be provided by a community with
similar inters tests to those of the user (e.g., a
community-of-interest (COI)). The travel criterion or criteria can,
in these instances, include information related to the COI rating.
For example, when two or more POIs meet relatively similar travel
preferences, the POI with the highest rating by a COI can be
preferred over the others.
[0079] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the data related to
the POIs (e.g., travel route preferences, navigation data, name of
place, location) can be graphically represented in the mobile
interactive services system to assist the user in the selection
process. In this regard, data related to the POIs can be
graphically represented to indicate a relative preference between
multiple POIs based on, for example, one or more travel criterion.
In another embodiment, the travel criterion or criteria results can
be used by a navigation service operated through a mobile
interactive services system to determine a preferred POIs for the
destination category. The navigation data of the preferred POI can
be made available (e.g., graphically represented or displayed on a
display screen) to the user through a mobile interactive services
system. The mobile interactive services system can also make
available data related to the remaining POIs upon user request.
When a POI is selected or accepted by the user, the mobile
interactive services system can provide data related to the POI,
including navigation data.
[0080] FIG. 9A is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display data related to one or more points-of-interest, according
to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 9A, a mobile
interactive services system can include a controller 900 having a
display screen 910. In some embodiments, the controller 900 can
include at least a portion of the functionality provided by the
controller module 210 described in FIG. 2. The display screen 910
can have a first portion 930 and a second portion 940. In other
embodiments, the display screen 910 can include more or fewer
portions than those described in FIG. 9A.
[0081] The first portion 930 of the display screen 910 can be used
to visually or graphically represent information related to, for
example, a navigation map 920. In the example shown in FIG. 9A, the
navigation map 920 can include location information (e.g., towns,
cities, addresses, names of places, landmarks) and road information
as described in the examples in FIGS. 5, 6A, 6B, and 8. The
navigation map 920 can include data related to the POIs as
described in FIG. 8. The second portion 940 of the display screen
910 can be used to graphically or visually represent, for example,
the relative organization of the POIs that results from considering
the user's travel route preferences from a starting location S. In
this example, the POIs can be listed from top to bottom in order of
preference. In other embodiments, different graphical
representations of POI preferences can be used that may be
different from those described in FIG. 9A. A user can select any
one POI and need not select the POI with the highest relative
preference. In one embodiment, the display screen 910 can be a
touch screen, for example, such that a user can select one of the
POIs through the display screen 910. In another embodiment, the
controller 900 can include buttons that can be used to select a POI
from those graphically represented on the display screen 910.
[0082] FIG. 9B is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display navigation data and other data related to a
point-of-interest, according to an embodiment of the invention. In
the example shown in FIG. 9B, the user has selected or accepted POI
2 from the multiple POIs that resulted from the destination
category search. The display screen 910 can be used to provide
navigation or guidance data and/or additional data related to the
POI 2. In this regard, the display screen 910 can have a first
portion 950, a second portion 960, and a third portion 970. In
other embodiments, the display screen 910 can include more or fewer
portions than those described in FIG. 9B. The first portion 950 of
the display screen 910 can include graphically or visually
represented guidance or navigation data to assist the user in
traveling from a current location S to the location of the selected
POI (i.e., POI 2 in this example). The second portion 960 of the
display screen 910 can include graphically or visually represented
data related to the POI 2, such as, for example, an address, a
telephone number, an email, a hyperlink to a website, an estimated
time of arrival at POI 2, and/or a community-of-interest (COI)
rating and/or review of the POI when available. The third portion
970 of the display screen 910 can include, for example, multimedia
information (e.g., advertisement, offers, commercial logos, audio
content) related to the POI 2.
[0083] FIG. 9C is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display navigation data and website data related to a selected
point-of-interest, according to another embodiment of the
invention. In the example shown in FIG. 9C, the display screen 910
can be used to provide navigation or guidance data and/or
additional data related to the selected POI (i.e., POI 2 in this
example). In this regard, the display screen 910 can have a first
portion 950 and a second portion 980. In other embodiments, the
display screen 910 can include more or fewer portions than those
described in FIG. 9C. As shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the first
portion 950 of the display screen 910 can include graphically or
visually represented guidance or navigation data to assist the user
in traveling from a current location S to the location of POI 2.
The second portion 980 of the display screen 910 in FIG. 9C can
include, for example, a website related to the POI 2. In this
regard, the website of POI 2 shown in FIG. 9C may have been
displayed from the user selecting a hyperlink, such as the
hyperlink described in FIG. 9B, for example.
[0084] FIG. 9D is a front view of a controller that can graphically
display feedback data provided to a community-of-interest related
to a selected point-of-interest, according to an embodiment of the
invention. In the example shown in FIG. 9D, the display screen 910
can be used to provide navigation or guidance data, to provide
additional data related to selected POI (i.e., POI 2 in this
example), and/or to submit data related to the selected POI. In
this regard, the display screen 910 can have a first portion 950
and a second portion 990. In other embodiments, the display screen
910 can include more or fewer portions than those described in FIG.
9D. As shown in FIGS. 9B-9D, the first portion 950 of the display
screen 910 can include graphically or visually represented guidance
or navigation information to assist the user in traveling from
current a location S to the location of POI 2. In FIG. 9D, the user
has arrived at POI 2. The second portion 990 of the display screen
910 can include, for example, graphically or visually represented
data to assist the user in submitting information related to POI 2,
such as a personal ratings and/or reviews, for example. For
instance, the user can belong to one or more communities that share
common interests (e.g., parents with young children groups, retired
people groups, traveling bands groups). These communities can share
with its members the ratings and/or reviews of particular POIs. In
this regard, the second portion 990 can be used to select a
community-of-interest (COI) and to provide the selected COI with a
personal rating and/or review of services and/or facilities
associated with POI 2 (e.g., quality of service, promptness, cost,
cleanliness).
[0085] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method for selecting
a POI based on historical trip data, according to an embodiment of
the invention. At 1002, after start 1000, a mobile interactive
services system that supports navigation services can access
historical trip data, such as trip data related to departure time,
arrival time, time and/or date of travel, travel distances,
starting and/or destination locations, route segments, destination
areas, and/or navigation or guidance data provided for previously
occurring trips, for example. The historical trip data can be
accessed from memory in the mobile interactive services system
and/or through a hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile communication
network, for example. In some instances, the historical trip data
can include processed historical trip data such as routine route
segment data and/or routine destination area data.
[0086] At 1004, data related to one or more POIs can be accessed by
the mobile interactive services system. The POI data can result
from a search of a selected destination category through a
navigation service. The POI data can include information related to
multiple POIs such as location of a POI, name, contact information
(e.g., telephone number, fax number, email, text messaging,
hyperlinks), and/or ratings or reviews provided by one or more
communities or groups (e.g., COI ratings). The POI data can be
accessed from memory in the mobile interactive services system
and/or through a hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile communication
network, for example. In this regard, the POI data can be received
from a navigation service provider.
[0087] At 1006, at least one criterion can be used for selecting a
POI. The criterion or criteria can be based on historical trip
data, user preferences, and/or other data related to the POIs, such
as ratings or reviews, for example. In this regard, at least one
criterion can be determined by providing a weight or weighting
factor to one or more aspects of the historical trip data, the user
preferences, and/or other data related to the POIs. In some
embodiments, routine route segments, routine destination areas,
and/or ratings or reviews can be weighted more heavily to reflect
the user's travel preferences.
[0088] At 1008, the mobile interactive services system can
graphically represent data related to the POIs based on, at least
partially, at least one criterion determined for POI selection. For
example, a display screen can be used to graphically represent the
location of the POIs. The display screen can also be used to
graphically represent POI information, such as name, for example,
in a manner that illustrate relative POI preferences based on the
criterion or criteria. At 1010, a user can select or accept a POI
based on the criterion and/or other POI data. In one embodiment, a
user can activate a portion of the mobile interactive services
system, such as a touch-screen or a button, to indicate which of
the POIs is being selected. In another embodiment, the mobile
interactive services system can determine a preferred POI based on
the criterion or criteria and can provide the user with the option
of accepting the preferred POI. The user need not accept the
preferred POI and the mobile interactive services system can
present subsequent options of POIs (e.g., according to relative
criterion preference) until the user accepts one. At 1012 and 1014,
the mobile interactive services system can graphically represent
data related to the selected or accepted POI. For example, the
mobile interactive services system can provide the user with
navigation or guidance information, data related to the selected
POI (e.g., address and contact information, hyperlinks, websites,
and/or multimedia content). After 1014, the method can proceed to
end 1016.
[0089] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for obtaining
navigation data to a destination point based on historical trip
data, according to an embodiment of the invention. At 1102, after
start 1100, a mobile interactive services system can access
historical trip data from memory in the mobile interactive services
system, for example. In some instances, the historical trip data
can include processed historical trip data such as routine route
segment data and/or routine destination area data.
[0090] At 1104, the historical trip data can be communicated to a
navigation service provider through a hybrid satellite/terrestrial
mobile communication network, for example. The navigation service
provider can process the historical trip data, including
determining statistical information to identify routine or
regularly occurring trips, for example. At 1106, a user can request
navigation data for a specified location or destination from the
navigation service provider via the hybrid satellite/terrestrial
mobile communication network. At 1108, the navigation service
provider can generate navigation data for the user-specified
location based, at least partially, on the historical trip data
received. The mobile interactive services system can receive the
navigation data generated by the navigation service provider
through the hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile communication
network. At 1110, the mobile interactive services system can
graphically represent the navigation data, including travel
directions or guidance and/or additional data related to the
specified destination. In this regard, the navigation service
provider can update the navigation data to, for example, reflect
changes in the user's location and/or to indicate changes in
remaining travel time and/or distance to travel to arrive at the
destination location. After 1112, the method can proceed to end
1114.
[0091] In one embodiment, a processor in a mobile interactive
navigation service can be operated to process at least one
criterion for multiple of POIs based on historical trip data. The
historical trip data can include route segment data and destination
area data. An input device can also be coupled to the processor and
can be operated to detect a selection of one of the graphically
represented POIs. A modem can be coupled to the processor and can
be operated to receive data related to the POIs from a hybrid
satellite/terrestrial mobile communication network. In some
instances, the criterion or criteria can be based on a portion of
the route segment data related to travel to the one of the POIs
from a current location, the portion of the destination area data
related to a location of the POIs, and/or a rating provided by a
COI. The processor can be operated to process a preferred POI based
on the at least one criterion. A display can be coupled to the
processor that can be configured to graphically represent the
multiple POIs based on the criterion or criteria. The graphically
represented data can include, for example, data related to a
preferred POI, data related to the POIs in an order that is based
on the criterion, and data related to the selected POI.
[0092] In another embodiment, a processor in a mobile interactive
navigation service can be operated process navigation data to a
destination for graphical representation in a display. The
navigation data can be based on historical trip data and the
historical trip data can include route segment data and destination
area data. The processor can access the navigation data from memory
and/or through a hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile communication
network. In this regard, the memory can be operated to store
navigation data, historical trip data, and/or data related to a
previously conducted trip. The processor can process data related
to a previously conducted trip to generate historical trip data. In
some instances, the processor can process the historical trip data
for communication to a navigation service provider through the
hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile communication network and via a
modem coupled to the processor. The modem can also receive
navigation data from the service provider through the hybrid
satellite/terrestrial mobile communication network. The navigation
data received from the service provider can be based on a portion
of the route segment data related to travel to the destination from
a current location and/or a portion of the destination area data
related to a location of the destination. The navigation data
received from the service provider can be updated based on
historical trip data, traffic data, and/or user deviations from
previously provided navigation data.
[0093] In another embodiment, a processor in a mobile interactive
services system can be programmed to process at least one criterion
for each of multiple POIs based on historical trip data. The
historical trip data can include route segment data and/or
destination area data. The processor can be programmed to process
the criterion or criteria for the POIs to provide a graphical
representation of the POIs. The processor can be programmed to
process a selection of one of the graphically represented POIs.
[0094] Conclusion
[0095] While various embodiments of the invention have been
described above, it should be understood that they have been
presented by way of example only, and not limitation. For example,
the mobile interactive services device described herein can include
various combinations and/or sub-combinations of the components
and/or features of the different embodiments described. Although
described with reference to use with an MSS/ATC system, it should
be understood that the mobile interactive navigation services and
the mobile interactive services device, as well as the methods of
using the mobile interactive navigation services and the mobile
interactive services device can be used with other wireless network
systems.
[0096] Embodiments of a mobile interactive navigation service can
also be provided without the mobile interactive services device
described herein. For example, a mobile interactive navigation
service can be configured to be used with other suitable
controllers, vehicle consoles, handheld devices, and/or laptop
computers, not specifically described herein. Data from a mobile
interactive navigation service can be accessed, processed,
displayed, and/or selected in a different manner than as
illustrated and described herein. A mobile interactive navigation
service can also be provided with other interactive features and/or
services such as, for example, travel assistance services.
[0097] Some embodiments include a processor and a related
processor-readable medium having instructions or computer code
thereon for performing various processor-implemented operations.
Such processors can be implemented as hardware modules such as
embedded microprocessors, microprocessors as part of a computer
system, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits ("ASICs"), and
Programmable Logic Devices ("PLDs"). Such processors can also be
implemented as one or more software modules in programming
languages as Java, C++, C, assembly, a hardware description
language, or any other suitable programming language.
[0098] A processor according to some embodiments includes media and
computer code (also can be referred to as code) specially designed
and constructed for the specific purpose or purposes. Examples of
processor-readable media include, but are not limited to: magnetic
storage media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape;
optical storage media such as Compact Disc/Digital Video Discs
("CD/DVDs"), Compact Disc-Read Only Memories ("CD-ROMs"), and
holographic devices; magneto-optical storage media such as optical
disks, and read-only memory ("ROM") and random-access memory
("RAM") devices. Examples of computer code include, but are not
limited to, micro-code or micro-instructions, machine instructions,
such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher-level
instructions that are executed by a computer using an interpreter.
For example, an embodiment of the invention may be implemented
using Java, C++, or other object-oriented programming language and
development tools. Additional examples of computer code include,
but are not limited to, control signals, encrypted code, and
compressed code.
* * * * *